Bruce Bochy Chooses A Game Four Starter

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Facing elimination San Francisco manager, Bruce Bochy defiantly named his starter for the fourth game of the NLDS.

"We are alive.  More than anything you have to have the attitude, 'never say die'.  You come out here.  You play hard and you see what happens," Bochy said.

His team's back is against the wall.  Fully aware that game four may never happen, Barry Zito, not Tim Lincecum, the former Cy Young winner and hero to the Giants 2010 World Championship team, was informed that he will start on Wednesday, if needed.

"You have to look at what Barry's done," Bochy said.  "You look at how we have played the last 11 games that he's pitched and he's really just done a terrific job for us.  He's won some big games.  He's been really on top of his game and I think he's earned this."

The dilema is that Lincecum has had two down years compared to his first three Major League campaigns.

Lincecum was 18-5, 15-7 and 16-10 in his first three seasons.  He was just 13-14 in 2011 but pitched well enough with a 2.74 ERA.  This year he slumped.  The 28-year old was 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA.

Bochy with the season on the line decided to focus on the here and now rather than rely on history.

Zito, 34, had five straight losing seasons since moving across the bay from Oakland as a free agent.  In Oakland as a 24-year old, Zito was 23-5.  Since coming to San Francisco in 2008, the lefty was 10-17, 10-13, 9-14 and 3-4 until this season in which he rebounded to post a 15-8 record with a 4.15 ERA.

Since August 11, Zito is 7-0 in 11 starts, as Bochy pointed out all Giant wins, with a 3.92 ERA.

"You have to look at what Timmy has done, but you have to look at the present and that's what we've done.  We've looked at this year and recent history with how Barry has been throwing the ball and I'll say Vogelsong too.  Now with that said, Timmy is on the staff and we think he has the possibility of really helping us in the bullpen if needed.  He showed that yesterday (two scoreless innings). He's going to be available the next three games.  It is never easy to make a call like this, but you want to do what you think is right in the present.  That's what we did just like in 2010.  Barry was struggling and was not on our (postseason) roster."

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